About two months ago, my little sister graduated from high school and my parents threw a graduation bash at our house...with that being said, there was some CLEANING to do. So, as I am going about cleaning I decided to take a peak into the refrigerator and cabinets, and boy, there was some very long, overdue EXPIRED food in their...immediately, I started thinking about how bad it would be to eat that food...in other words, it HAD to go...so, I was tearing through the shelves looking at all the dates on the food, bagging it up and throwing it out.
Saints, when you GIVE your life to CHRIST, God and all the angels throw a huge ole' bash up in heaven..for YOU...just for YOU! And then, the cleaning begins. God begins to tear through the shelves of our hearts showing us all the soiled, expired food lurking around sitting in there and gosh, it HURTS. Our past is dug up and some things need to be removed in order for us to heal and to make room for the new things God longs to give us. He is throwing away the old furniture not comfortable for a Holy God, and restoring it with new furniture so our hearts become HIS home. A home is a place of comfort, is God comfortable living in your heart? Granted, we will never be perfect until the day we meet Jesus face to face, but God grows us and matures us while we are here on this earth to conform into the image of His son. This is a question I had to ask myself also, and I know that God is continuing to clean out my heart from the clutter of this crazy world.
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| My little sister and I at her graduation bash!! |
So, what expired food is sitting on the shelves of your heart? Let God throw it out...if it sits in there, it will only weigh you down and if you choose to eat it, it will just make you straight up sick. Eating food that is expired will make you sick and too many Christians are feasting on the food of their past. Is it anger? Unforgiveness? Rejection? A past hurt? Maybe it's something so small that you don't even realize it is there...sometimes there are things in our hearts we totally, completely forget about because it's just been there for SO long and we, "brushed it under the rug"...I remember a while ago just going about my business, and an old experience popped up out of NO where...in high school, my geometry teacher told me in front of the whole class I was a clown and belonged in the circus...although it was funny then and I brushed it under the rug and remembering it didn't bother me a whole lot, God allowed me to understand that those "small" things take up more space in our hearts than we think...so, I forgave him and let God throw it out. In order for some things to be thrown out, we need to let them go. Someone will always try to tell you who you are or where you belong, but, I am a Child of God...not a clown...I belong in HIS KINGDOM...and not the circus! Maybe there are some labels sitting in the shelves of your heart that need to be peeled off and thrown out...ask God to search your heart and show you the things that need to be thrown out! You are not a failure, you are not that past fornicator you used to be, you are no longer all the labels the world gave you. You belong to God and HE loves you, cherishes you and adores you!
And not only are there cabinets with expired food to clean out in our hearts, but closets as well. There are some old clothes that just don't quite fit any longer that God needs to get rid of, so stop trying to wash and wear them. Make room in your closet so God can give you a new spiritual wardrobe...he's trading out those stanky, sad clothes rotted and filled with holes for a brand new wardrobe (potential blog for another day, but...)
Isaiah 61:3 "To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory"
God is giving us NEW clothes for our spiritual wardrobe...He is giving us clothing that stands out...dare to be different...don't be afraid to be that kid that gets picked on because of their clothing...you are set apart, called to stand out and God is giving you a wardrobe to make you look more like HIM. Not only is He giving us new clothes, but accessories...my favorite part of this scripture is that God is giving us as His own a CROWN to wear...a crown of beauty instead of ashes...so, its time for some of us to do some spring cleaning because our season has changed and our clothes and accessories are out of style.
Alright, lets take a moment and look at Phillipians 3: 12-14 (MSG)
"I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back."
I don't know about you, but this passage of Scripture is super encouraging...Paul is saying, "Hey I know I am not perfect, but the God I serve has great things in store for me so I am giving my past an expiration date and leaving it right there where it belongs, I am pressing in to all God has called me to be so that others may also know him...I am moving forward, taking steps, strides and leaps...some steps may be smaller than others but I am moving forward and I won't stop"
Friends, God is calling us to do the same thing...he is BECKONING us ONWARD, not BACKWARD...to beckon someone means to: "make a gesture with the hand, arm or head to encourage someone to come nearer or follow" aka it's an invitation to leave what's behind and simply move on and draw closer to Jesus..it can be HARD, but that's why God is there encouraging YOU and ME...Lord knows each and every one of us needs His encouragement. So, like Paul, let's give our past an expiration date and leave it there! Stop sitting on that old wooden stool in your heart that is giving you nothing but splinters and start sitting on the big ole' fluffy couch God has given you. At the end of the day we all have a choice and no matter how long we have to push, we need to keep pushing.
So, anytime you feel like hold up, somethings not right, which direction am I going in?
RE-EVALUATE
1. Take a deep breath and STOP
2. Pray and ask God for wisdom, discernment and direction
3. Adjust and make the switch to turn around if needed
4. Continue to walk and and trust GOD to order your steps
And, like Paul.....I do not consider myself to have it all together, I just have been given the opportunity to share the wisdom God has given me as I move forward on this journey and leave the past in the past and allow God to use it for HIS glory.
Love,
Beth
